Manipulator



M. P. SIEGER May 14, 1957 MANIPULATOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 10,1953 INVENTOR. R $1 M. P. SIEGER May 14, 1957 MANIPULATOR 3 Sheets-Sheet2 Filed Sept. 10, 1953 INVENTOR. MHZ/RICE R SIEGER 1115 H TTORNEY May14, 1957 M. P. SlEGER 2,791,923

MANIPULATOR Filed Sept. 10, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN V EN TOR.

MHURICE'R SIEGER /QKM J/ HIS HTTORNE Y MAN IPULATOR Maurice P. Sieger,Mount Lebanon, Pa., assignor to United Engineering and Foundry Company,Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania This invention relates toan improvement in apparatus for use in handling ingots and the like andin particular to an improvement in manipulators adapted to engage with,turn and position heavy ingots rapidly and efliciently between rollingmill passes.

In a given rolling mill set up, not only is the speed of the mill afactor in determining the rolling capacity but the ability of theauxiliary apparatus to function efliciently and quickly in themanipulation of the workpiece must also be considered inasmuch as suchoperations usually require as great as 60% of the total time requiredfor actually rolling the workpiece. As the ingots to be rolled may weigh60,000 pounds or more, they are difficult and cumbersome to maneuver andthe loss of time incident to turning and positioning such ingots is ofsuch consequence that the need for improved handling and manipulatingapparatus becomes readily apparent.

It is one of the objects of this invention, therefore, to provideapparatusfor efliciently and quickly manipulating heavy ingots betweenthe passes of a rolling mill.

It is another object of this invention to provide a ma nipulator havinglifting finger operating means associated therewith which are rugged andsubstantial and not subject to the mechanical limitations ofmanipulators of the type presently employed in industry;

Still another object of this invention is to provideja manipulatorhaving lifting fingers which are so arranged that they may be readilyplaced into contact with a workpiece for carrying out a'manipulatingoperation and yet which can not become damaged even though in thelowering operation the fingers may strike an ingot and be interrupted intheir downward travel.

These objects, as well as the various other features and advantages ofthis invention, will become apparent from a reading of the followingspecification and accompanying drawings of which:

Figure 1' is a plan view of apparatus embodying features of theinvention herein disclosed;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken at II-II of Figure l, and v Figure 3is a sectional view taken at III-III of Figure 1.

With reference to Figure 1, there is shown. therein a horizontal rollingmill 11 and a-vert-ic'al mill 12 adjacent thereto through which articlessuch as ingots and the like are passed and reduced to the cross sectionsdesired. Adjacent to the entry side of the verticalrnill 12 there isshown a feed table 13, having driven rolls, which receives an ingot fromand directs it into the mill. .In conjunction with the feed tablethere-"is provided'a manipulator as-. sembly 14 adapted to engage withand position an ingot. transversely on the table between the passesthrough the mills.

nited States Patent" 2,791,923 Patented May '14, 1957 The manipulatorcomprises, in opposed relation, two side guides 15and 16 which arelocated above the table 13, being movable toward and away from oneanother transversely thereof. The guide 15 is provided with a plainguide face 15a whereas the side guide 16 has four vertical slots 17formed in the face 16a thereof, in each of which there is received forvertical sliding movement a lifting finger 18. Each of the fingers hasat its lower end a stepped ledge 19 extending in a transverse directionwith respect to the feed table rolls and, in their lowermost positions,slightly below the surface of the table.

Three of the lifting fingers 18 are pivotally secured to levers 21 andthe fourth to a lever 21a all of which are contained in planes locatedat right angles to the plane of the face 16a of the side guide 16,th elevers 21 and 21a being keyed to a shaft 22 mounted in suitable beargings 23 provided on the frame 24, which frame is rigidly secured to theends of the upper rams 25 of themaniptu later. A link 26 is secured tothe inner end of the lever 21a and to a second lever 27 pivotallymounted upon a shaft 28 supported in suitable bearings mounted upon theframe 24. The opposite end of the lever 27 is provided with a camfollower 29 which makes contact with the upper flat cam surface 30formed on a vertically and longitudinally movable table 31. Each of therams 25 is 'slidably supported at its forward end on a suitable bearing32 having a pivotal connection with a supporting shaft 32a and havingsecured to one end thereof the side guide 16. The shaft 32a, in turn, issupported in suitable bearings upon a pedestal 33 mounted upon a frame34.- As shown in Figure 2 the lower frame 34 also supports the pedestalbearings 35 within which the ends of the feed table roll 36 arerotatably secured. Although 'not shown in the drawings, adjacent to theouter ends of each of the upper rams 25 bearings similar to those at 32are also provided so that the rams and their associated parts areadequately supported for level transverse movement across the feed table13. Movement of the rams 25 and the side guide 16 is accomplished bymeans of a reversing motor 37 connected to a gear reduction drive unit38, the shaft 39 of which is coupled to a line shaft 41 upon which thereare secured pinions 42 in meshing relationship with racks 43 formed onthe lower surface of the rams 25. For the side guides 15 there areprovided rams 40 having rack and pinion driving connections and a lineshaft 44 connected to a gear reduction unit 45 and reversing drivingmotor 46.

As noted heretofore, the table 31 is moved simultaneously in both avertical and a longitudinal direction. Since the cam surface 30 remainslevel at all elevations, movement of the rams toward and from the feedtable and carrying with them the lifting fingers and cam followerassociated therewith will not disturb the relative vertical positions ofthe lifting fingers.

With reference to Figures 2 and3, vertical and longitudinal movement ofthe table 31 is accomplished by means of a crank shaft 47 on which thereare formed double cranks 48 and 49. For driving the crank shaft 47, aworm wheel 51 is secured thereto which is engaged with a worm 52 keyedto a drive shaft 53 connected to v a suitable motor, not shown. Thecrank 48 is connecteddirectly to the vertically movable table 31 so thatas the crank is rotated in the counterclockwise direction, as shown inFigure 2, the table portion connected thereto will. rise and at the sametime the entire table will be displaced in a longitudinal directiontoward the right. In

' order to assure uniform vertical displacement of the table so that itwill be maintained level in all of its vertical positions, a system oflinks is provided. A link 54 is pivotally connected to the crank 49 andto a lever 55 of a bell crank 56 which is keyed to a shaft 57 mounted insuitable bearings upon a frame 58. The other lever 59 of the bell crankhas pivotally connected to its end a vertically disposed link 61 which,in turn, is pivotally connected to the table 31. As the double cranks 48and 49 are rotated, both ends of the table 31 will rise the samedistance and, at the same time, the table will be permitted to move in alongitudinal direction to the extreme positions indicated by the dot anddash lines in Figure 2. Above the double crank, there is provided acover 60 for preventing scale and other foreign matter from droppingdown into the bearings and mechanism thereof.

Operation of the apparatus comprising this invention may be brieflysummarized as follows:

An ingot is placed upon the mill feed table and is run up to and stoppedat a position intermediate the two side guides and 16. By actuation ofthe two sets of rams 25 and 40 the side guides are then brought up to aposition adjacent the sides of the ingot thereby to orient the ingot inan axial longitudinal direction, the fingers 18 of the side guide 16being in their lowermost positions. If the ingot is to be turned aboutits longitudinal axis, the guide 15 is backed away a sufiicient distanceso as to provide adequate clearance for carrying out the turningoperation and the double cranks 48 and 49 are rotated whereby the table31 rises thereby causing the fingers to rise and the stepped ledges 19thereof to engage the under side of the ingot, thus to turn it to itsnew position. The ingot is aligned with the mill merely by pushing it byone of the side guides to the desired transverse position on the table.In the event it should be required that the ingot be turned about itsaxis 180", the foregoing operation is repeated. Should the fingers inbeing lowered inadvertently strike the edge of an ingot so as tointerfere with the downward travel thereof, the apparatus will not bedamaged since the cam follower 29 merely will lose contact with thetable cam surface 30 and remain suspended in the air until such time asthe ingot is moved to permit the fingers to drop and the cam andfollower again to make contact with one another.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I haveexplained the principle and operation of my invention and haveillustrated and described what I consider to represent the bestembodiment thereof. However, I desire to have it understood that withinthe scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practicedotherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

I claim:

1. Ingot manipulating apparatus for use in combination with a rollingmill feed table comprising a pair of oppositely disposed guides movabletransversely of said table and toward and away from one another, aplurality of vertically extending longitudinally disposed ingot engagingfingers in slidable engagement with one of said guides, a cam, a camfollower, said cam and cam follower being separable from one another andoperably connected to said fingers, and means for imparting verticalmotion to said cam and cam follower thereby to impart vertical motion tosaid fingers.

2. Ingot manipulating apparatus for use in combination with a rollingmill feed table comprising a pair of oppositely disposed guides movabletransversely of said table and toward and away from one another, aplurality of vertically extending longitudinally disposed ingot engagingfingers in slidable engagement with one of said guides, a cam followeroperably connected to said fingers, a cam, said follower adapted to beengaged with and disengaged from said cam and means operably connectedto said cam for imparting vertical motion thereto thereby to impartvertical motion to said cam follower and to said fingers.

3. Ingot manipulating apparatus for use in combination with a rollingmill feed table comprising a pair of oppositely disposed guides movabletransversely of said table and toward and away from one another, aplurality of vertically extending longitudinally disposed fingers inslidable engagement with one of said guides, an ingot engaging ledgeportion at the lower end of each finger, normally below the surface ofsaid table, and extending outward therefrom in a direction toward theother of said guides, a cam follower operably connected to said fingers,a cam, said follower adapted to be engaged with and disengaged from saidcam and means operably connected to said cam for imparting verticalmotion thereto thereby to impart vertical motion to said cam followerand to said fingers.

4. Ingot manipulating apparatus for use in combination with a rollingmill feed table comprising a pair of oppositely disposed guides movabletransversely of said table and toward and away from one another, aplurality of vertically extending longitudinally disposed fingers inslidable engagement with one of said guides, an ingot engaging ledgeportion at the lower end of each finger, normally below the surface ofsaid table, and extending outward therefrom in a direction toward theother of said guides, a cam follower, a lever interconnecting saidfingers and said follower, a cam, said follower adapted to be engagedwith and disengaged from said cam, and a crank mechanism connected toand for imparting vertical motion to said cam thereby to impart verticalmotion to said cam follower and to said fingers.

5. Ingot manipulating apparatus for use in combination with a rollingmill feed table comprising a pair of oppositely disposed guides movabletransversely of said table and toward and away from one another, aplurality of vertically extending longitudinally disposed fingers inslidable engagement with one of said guides, an ingot engaging ledgeportion at the lower end of each finger, normally below the surface ofsaid table, and extending outward therefrom in a direction toward theother of said guides, a shaft, a plurality of levers secured to saidshaft and pivotally secured to said fingers, a cam follower operablyconnected to one of said levers, a cam, said follower adapted to beengaged with and disengaged from said cam and means operably connectedto said cam for imparting vertical motion thereto thereby to impartvertical motion to said cam follower and to said fingers.

6. Ingot manipulating apparatus for use in combination with a rollingmill feed table comprising apair of oppositely disposed guides abovesaid table, rams secured to said guides for moving them in a directiontransversely of said table and toward and away from one another, aplurality of vertically extending longitudinally disposed fingers inslidable engagement with one of said guides, an ingot engaging ledgeportion at the lower end of each finger, normally below the surface ofsaid table, and extending outwardly therefrom in a direction toward theother of said guides, a rocker shaft, a pair of interconnected leversone of which is secured to said shaft and the other provided with aroller at one end thereof, a plurality of levers secured to said shaftand pivotally secured to each of said fingers, a table along which saidroller travels on actuation of said rams, and means for raising saidtable vertically and for maintaining level the surface thereof therebyto impart vertical motion to said fingers.

7. Means for actuating an ingot tilting finger in a substantiallyvertical direction comprising a lever pivotally attached to the finger,a separable cam and cam follower operatively engaged with said lever,and means for actuating said Cam and cam follower thereby to impartvertical motion to said finger.

8. Means for actuating an ingot tilting finger in a substantiallyvertical direction comprising a lever operatively secured, to said ngrs, a horizontally disposed flat cam and a cam follower adapted to beengaged with and disengaged from one another and operatively engagedwith said lever, and a double crank mechanism in engagement with and forimparting vertical motion to said cam while maintaining the cam surfacethereof in parallel planes throughout such motion.

9. Means for actuating an ingot tilting finger in a substantiallyvertical direction comprising a lever operatively secured to saidfinger, a cam, a cam follower adapted to be engaged with and disengagedfrom said cam and secured to said lever and means comprising a mechanismhaving double cranks ofiset at right angles with respect to one anotherand so connected to said cam as to impart vertical motion theretowithout disturbing the horizontal attitude of the surface thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

